Archiving VHS on DVD format without a DVD-R

[joteo]

Hello,

I'm not able to afford a DVD-R, but have a CD-RW.

I have my work on VHS, but I want to put it on DVD eventually.

However, at the risk of my VHS tapes getting fungus, I was wondering if there's a way to encode the video first and save it as a data CD.

And in the future, when I can get a DVD-R, to write the DVDs without re-encoding from VHS tapes which may have deteriorated by then.

Can this be done?

Thanks
j

[LanceSteel]

What I would do is capture the VHS's as an avi. Use tmpeg to encode the video stream to an mpeg2 with a bitrate of your choice. I would encode the audio as AC3 if availible. You will have a fairly large video file and a small audio file. You then can use a splitting program to chop up the video file into smaller files that you can burn on to a CD. OR If you have access to DVD authoring software, you can author the stream, have the program build a CD image and then just split the cd image.

I would just buy a DVD writer as soon as possible. The Pioneer DVR-104 is $309 at www.hypermicro.com

[Tachyon]

However, at the risk of my VHS tapes getting fungus, I was wondering if there's a way to encode the video first and save it as a data CD.

And in the future, when I can get a DVD-R, to write the DVDs without re-encoding from VHS tapes which may have deteriorated by then.

It certainly can. Encode as MPEG-2 using a DVD profile from whichever encoder you use and you can pull the files back off CD when you get your DVD-R drive. You won't get much on each CD, though.

ATB, Tachyon.

[SLK001]

Mr. Steel has a good suggestion, but I wouldn't take the time to author it now. Just convert the VCR tapes to MPEG to the quality where you are satisfied, and then salt them away on CDRs for when you finally get your new Pioneer DVR-A36 (18X burning speed and DVD-R media at $0.35 each!)

[geek rock]

remember if you decide to do this, you'll only be able to get about 15 minutes of video on each CDR..

-Mark

[Anonymous65]

Simply capture your VHS video at 352x480 and encode it to mpeg-2 with a CBR of 4000Kb/sec. Encode the audio at 224Kb/sec with a sampling frequency of 48 Khz. These video files can be burned to a DVD-R at any time later without any conversion.

[joteo]

Hi,

Thanks so much for the info.

If the 15min per CD is accurate, then it should be no problem, because the shows I've done are about half an hour long sitcoms, less the time for advertisements. No two hour long movies here.

As for the splitting programme, are these video splitters? Or can the splitting be done by some CD writing software? And if it's done by a CD writing software, then would it necessarily be the case that I'd need to use the same software to stitch it back again?

Thanks once more
j

[The_Flash]

Grab the latest BeSweet for your audio (v1.4b1), it now supports AC3 encoding. I wouldn't use .mp2 for your discs, because you can't out mp2 through digital out on a DVD player. Thus, all compliant DVDs MUST contain at least one AC3 track.

[vhelp]

evening joteo,

Best thing you can do is capture to AVI format, (not DV) for
maximum quality. DV has a color space issue, and if quality IS
your main objective, then, DV may NOT be your choise

Capture in AVI format, and if you have PLENTY of CD-R's to spare,
burn the AVIs to CDs. This will be the only way you can maintain
as close to your original VHS tape's quality. VHS doesn't really
need 720x480 captures, though it's always best to capture to as
high a resolution as possible, but if you were to go this route,
you'd have exhaust your CDRW burner. So, best to cap at 352x480
and burn to CDr.

Capture to AVI (chose your best codec to prefer in) and burn those
352x480 AVIs to CD. However, be sure you have no framedrops in
your captures, else you'll have another chapter to deal with later,
when you do decide to encode those AVIs (assuming you go this route)
As to which codec to choose, depends on how low a quality you wanna
go, vs. maximum size to a CDr you can copy AVI files to. Again,
this procedure will require a lot of CDrs, but in the long run,
you'll have:
* save yourself a headacke of encoding, and finally, later on, re
encoding all over again, reduding your quality even more, and again,
remember, VHS is already pretty low quality to begin with. It's
more quality loss to re-encode again, what you already encoded,
even if done at high bitrates, even if done in DVD template/bitrates
ect. This is a choice you'll have to make, AVI to CDr, or AVI
to MPEG, and then MPEG to MPEG again. Your choice for maximum
quality!!
* you'll have to use PLENTY of CDrs for this, but again, quality
will be at its maximum/best!!
* if these VHS tapes are NOT truely priceless (in so many words)
then MPEG to re-MPEG is the way to go, as others here have suggested
you go.

But, still, I disagree w/ capturing and then encoding to MPEG and storing
them on CD and later, re-encoding from them again. You'll be loosing
double quality. Remember, VHS is already pretty low quality to begin
with. But, the choice is yours. Good luck.

-vhelp

[joteo]

evening joteo,

Best thing you can do is capture to AVI format, (not DV) for
maximum quality. DV has a color space issue, and if quality IS
your main objective, then, DV may NOT be your choise

Capture in AVI format, and if you have PLENTY of CD-R's to spare,
burn the AVIs to CDs. This will be the only way you can maintain
as close to your original VHS tape's quality. VHS doesn't really
need 720x480 captures, though it's always best to capture to as
high a resolution as possible, but if you were to go this route,
you'd have exhaust your CDRW burner. So, best to cap at 352x480
and burn to CDr.

-vhelp

OK, I see what you mean. AVI is uncompressed, so it will retain the best quality picture and sound from encoding.

If I do want to do this: capture at 352x480 how will this overall affect the quality in DVD and VCD? Compared to capturing in 720x576 that is recommended for DVD?

Is 352x480 workable in PAL format?

Is there a way to predict how much space is required for encoding a certain length of source?

thanks
j

[vhelp]

You're missing the whole point w/ VHS. VHS (for the umph, tinth time, is
approx. 352x240 or 260) Forget about "recommended for DVD" thing. You're
thinking DVD quality, ie, 720x480, audio, etc., but VHS is NOT DVD quality,
and doesn't carry the DVD specs, even though you capture to 720x480...
you're NOT capture to DVD!! U R not going to turn a VHS in DVD quality.
But, you can always encode to 720x480, and get "slightly" better than VCD,
quality due to the double frames you captured, x480 vs. x240.

As to PAL format, then, in your capture app, you have to capture to 352x576.

But, if these VHS tapes are from your own records of TV show (as you said)
then chances are, you taped in EP so that you could fit more on a tape.
Quality from an EP mode recorded tape will not give you much or poor quality.
you're best to leave it at VCD specs and live with it. SP mode would have
ben better, but still, you said that you recorded from (old) TV series?
add that to your quality reduction, and how OLD are all these tapes, and
HOW many times have you already played them in your VCR, or others for
that matter?

in the long run, youre probably best to have your final in 352x240 though.
Remember, these VHS tapes are not store bought (commercial) quality
recorded. GIGO!!

-vhelp

[joteo]

But, if these VHS tapes are from your own records of TV show (as you said)
then chances are, you taped in EP so that you could fit more on a tape.
Quality from an EP mode recorded tape will not give you much or poor quality.
you're best to leave it at VCD specs and live with it. SP mode would have
ben better, but still, you said that you recorded from (old) TV series?
add that to your quality reduction, and how OLD are all these tapes, and
HOW many times have you already played them in your VCR, or others for
that matter?

in the long run, youre probably best to have your final in 352x240 though.
Remember, these VHS tapes are not store bought (commercial) quality
recorded. GIGO!!

-vhelp

Umm... these tapes were copies made from their source beta or digital beta and are on half an hour tapes. But I get your point about the original quality of source. I guess they don't really make a difference since it's already on VHS.

Thanks for your help.
j

[vanceen]

If you have a DV videocam, recording your captured AVI files back to the camera (in DV format) can be a lot more practical than CD's.